Kerrie Morrison

Integral membrane proteins (MPs) are involved in a variety of essential cell functions e.g. cell-cell signaling and biomolecule transport across bilayers. MPs are targets for >60% of pharmaceutical drugs and provide specificity for drug delivery. Study of MPs is hindered by instability when removed from their bilayer environment which causes denaturation. Newer technologies use poly(styrene-co-maleic acid) (SMA) to form nanodiscs around MPs, creating a stable environment for structural characterisation. SMA nanodiscs provide an alternative to study MPs organisation and protein-protein interactions. Polymer synthesis allows the tailoring of polymer properties for specific applications and eliminate limitations observed in current polymers. My research focusses on what polymer properties are required for polymer nanodiscs to have enhanced properties for structural and functional studies, and whether interactions between protein-polymer and polymer-lipid affect the functionality of the MP in the nanodisc.